Feed-regulator.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906:

J. R. HENDRIX.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 4. 1902.

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J. R. H

APPLI EN DRIX.

REGULATOR.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1902.

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Q/vihwsno I JACOB R. HENDRIX, OF ELIZABETHTON, TENNESSEE.

FEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed December 4,1902. Serial No. 133,905.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB R. HENDRIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabethton, in the county of Carter and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feed-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in mechanism for regulating the flow of grain or stock to flour-grinding rolls or stones; and the object is to provide a mechanism which will automatically regulate the capacity of the feed-gate, so as to deliver the stock from the bin-chute to the mill in the required flow proportionately to the speed of the mill.

The invention embodies a vertical shaft, means to rotate the shaft, a governor mechanism on the shaft, a slidable collar on the shaft and connected to the governor, and levers on the slidable collar and connected to the gate in the chute.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of parts and their aggroupment in operative combination, as will be hereinafter fully specified and the novelty claimed particularly pointed out and distinctly defined.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the complete governor mechanism, the supporting arms for the gate-levers being indicated in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation, partly in central vertical section, showing one of the gate-levers as broken off. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the chute of the bin, part of one of the gate-levers, the gate, and the means for adjustably securing the levers to the gate-rods. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the frame, vertical shaft, and slidable ring of the governor, show-- ing the relative arrangement of the supporting-arms and the gate-levers.

In the drawings similar reference notations appearing in the several illustrations denote the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a suitable foundation of such dimensions as to have the supporting frame of the device mounted thereon and fastened thereto by any suitable fastenings. On the provided foundation is mounted the supporting-frame, consisting of a base-plate 1, having centrally formed thereon a vertical socket-bearing 2, wherein the lower end of the vertical governor-shaft has its bearing. Rising from the base 1 are oppositely-disposed standards 3 4, preferably of the shape and contour shown in the drawings and having their upper ends connected by an integral cross piece 5, formed at the center with a vertical bearingsleeve 6, wherein the upper portion of the vertical governor-shaft is journaled and supported, as shown in the drawings. From the upper ends of the standards rise posts 7 8, formed or provided with bearing-boxes 9 10, covered with proper caps 11 12, and in the bearings thus provided is j ournaled the driving-shaft 13, which may be connected with any suitable source of power. 13 is mounted a bevel-pinion 14, the hub of which at one end abuts against the inner end face of the bearing 11 to prevent end thrust of the shaft in that direction, as indicated in the drawings in Fig. 1.

15 designates the vertical governor-shaft, having its lower end in the socket-bearing 2 and its upper end journaled through the vertical sleeve 6 and carrying on its upper end a bevel-pinion 16, in mesh with the pinion 14 on the driving-shaft, the lower end face of the hub of pinion 16 bearing on the upper end of the sleeve 6.

On the vertical shaft 15 immediately adj acent to the lower end of the bearing-sleeve 6 is mounted the governor-sleeve 17, shrunk fast or splined to the shaft to turn therewith. This sleeve 17 at its lower end is formed with bearing lugs or cars 18, disposed diametrically opposite, and between which are pivotally mounted the arms 19 20. carrying on their outer ends the governor-weights 21. At a point below the fixed sleeve 17 is slidably mounted a sleeve 22, formed with a reduced lower portion 23, on the lower end of which is secured a ring 24, so that between the upper face of the ring and the shoulder on the sleeve an annular channel will be provided, wherein is loosely journaled the hub 25 of dimetrically-disposed arms 26 27. To the opposite sides of the head of the sliding sleeve 22 are pivotally connected the lower ends of On the shaft lifting-links a 7), having their upper ends pivotally connected to the governor-arms 19 20. It will be perceived that the position of the sleeve 22 is varied and regulated by speed of the governor, rising with acceleration and falling with retardation, as is well known in mechanism of this character.

IIO

Formed on or suitably secured to the standards 3 4 are substantial arms 28 29, projecting horizontally from the frame and in line with each other and serve as supports for the gate-levers. To the outer ends of the arms 28 29 are pivotally connected the ends of the gate-levers 3O 31, which are carried horizontally parallel with each other and have intermediate pivotal connection on the ends of the arms 26 27 and thence carried forward to the gate of the chute, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

32 designates the chute which. leads from the stock-bin, and 33 is the chute into which the bin-chute opens and which delivers the stock to the mill. A vertically-sliding gate 34 controls the opening between the chutes.

35 36 designate vertical gate-rods having threaded stems and having their lower ends turned inward through vertical slots 37 and suitably fastened to the gate. The ends of the gate-levers are formed with vertical passages 38, through which the stems of the gaterods are loosely passed. To adjust the gate roperly in relation to the gate-levers, a thumb-nut 39 is mounted on the gate-rods to set on the lever and a jamb-nut 10 to set under the lever, as shown in the drawings.

An important feature of this invention is the means for adjusting the gate to increase or decrease the outlet-opening between the chutes 32 and 33 independent of the'varying adjustment imparted thereto by the movement of the governor. It is apparent that the levers 30 31 may be so adjusted upon the gate-rods 36 that the gate will be moved upward and downward by the governor a determined distance no matter at what rate of speed the shaft 13 is revolving. The advantage of this independent adjustment resides in the fact that under varying conditions a greater or less quantity of grain must be fed to a grinding-mill to produce a given resultsuch, for instance, as a difference in the quality of the grain and other causes well known to those skilled in the art. The pivoting of the gate-levers 30 31 upon the arms 28 29 and fulcruming them upon the arms 26 27 permit the levers to be adjusted upon the gate-arms to accomplish the result set forth.

The operation of the machine is apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, but may be briefly rehearsed and compiled therefrom as follows: The principle of action is that of all governors for regulating the speed of associated mechanism, with the important exception that the invention extends the principle to control, regulate, and operate an element not directly associated with the speed of a power that is, the gate of a grain-chuteand so change the capacity of the gate that the grain will be fed to the mill proportionately to the resistance of the feed and the speed or grinding capacity of the mill. Therefore it will be perceived that should the mill be grinding at the rate of twelve bushels an hour and from any cause the power goes down so as that but ten bushels are ground the action of the governor through the medium of the gate levers will close the gate to limit the feed ac cordingly. Again, suppose the mill is grinding twelve bushels an hour and the power gives it a capacity of fifteen bushels. Then the action of the governor through the gatelevers will open the gate to furnish the increased feed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a feed-regulator for mills, the combination of a supporting-frame, a binchute, a vertically-adjustable slidable gate at the outlet thereof, a vertically-positioned rotatable shaft, revoluble and vertically-movable governor devices on the shaft, a sleeve slidably mounted on the shaft below the governor, connections between the sleeve and. the governor, a hub loosely mounted on the sleeve and formed with diametrically extending arms, levers pivotally mounted on the arms and having their rear ends pivotally supported on the frame and extending forward to the vertically-movable gate, oppositelydisposed screw-threaded rods secured to the upper ends of the gate and projecting through the forward ends of the levers, and adjustable nuts on the rods, whereby the levers may be adjusted on the rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB R. HENDRIX.

Witnesses:

J. B. BRUCE, G. D. CRUMLEY. 

